Fly to Pattaya, Thailand for Free: American Airlines Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select
Last Updated on September 23, 2025 by admin
Want to fly to Thailand for free from the US? You can do it with points using the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard . The current sign-up bonus offers 80,000 American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles: enough for a roundtrip ticket to Bangkok. Just spend $3,500 within the first three months of account opening, allow about a month for the points to post, then book through American Airlines’ web site. Be sure to signup for an AAdvantage number before applying, then enter the number on your credit card application.
Booking Your Free Flight to Thailand: An Example
On AA.com, I priced out a 2 week roundtrip for May, 2026 from New York City (JFK) to Bangkok (BKK). One option was 75K miles + $77 taxes in Economy Class, using Cathay-Pacific on the way over and Japan Airlines on the return: both are great airlines.
What’s the Catch?
There’s no catch. There’s an annual fee of $99, but it’s waived the first year. If you use the card for everyday expenses within the first 90 days of opening the account, you’d be able to get a ~$1,000 flight for the cost of $77 in taxes. Technically not 100% free, but free enough! The bank is heavily subsidizing your trip. Pro tip: use the points to book a trip, then cancel within 11 months so you don’t have to pay the annual fee when it comes due (unless you want to keep it).
Additional Details & Conclusion
Additional airlines may be available when you search for flights: essentially, any airline in the One World Airline Alliance. But for flights from the US to Thailand, your options are typically Cathay-Pacific, Japan Airlines, and Qatar Airlines.
Apply here for the City AA AAdvantage Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard and start planning your free trip to Thailand today!
